Land Use, Zoning and Planning Lawyers in Lake Havasu City, Arizona
The laws governing how land can and cannot be used in Lake Havasu City, Arizona are fairly complex, and can be confusing to laypersons. This should provide a basic overview.
"Zoning" is the process by which a local government makes laws determining how individual pieces of land within its jurisdiction can be used. Usually, towns or cities are segmented off into "zones," each one being designated for a specific type of use. Examples of common zoning categories are single family residence, commercial, multi-unit housing, or industrial.
There are a lot of rationales and purposes for zoning laws. In general, they're based in common sense: chemical plants shouldn't be built next to daycare centers, pig farms should not be built in the middle of a residential neighborhood, and other simple principles similar to that. Zoning laws, by keeping conflicting land uses separate, make life easier for all parties, ensuring that property values will be preserved, and that necessary industries can be conducted where they will not bother anyone.
Zoning also serves the interests of industry, as well as residents. By ensuring that there are places where heavy industry can take place, well-planned zoning regulations will ensure that industrialists are free to practice their trade, and that residents will not be disturbed by those activities, which makes industry more efficient by helping it avoid costly nuisance lawsuits.
What if My Property Violates Lake Havasu City, Arizona's Zoning Laws?
If a condition on your property violates the local zoning laws of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, there are a few different solutions.
The most obvious solution is to correct the problem, so your property is no longer in violation of local zoning laws. If the violation is minor, and correcting it would not be very costly, this is likely the best way to go.
However, it isn't always practical or affordable to correct a minor violation of a zoning law. For example, suppose you have just spent a large amount of money and effort remodeling a house to turn it into your dream home. You thought you were in total compliance with local zoning laws when you did this, but find out that there is some small, technical violation of Lake Havasu City, Arizona's zoning laws. In these cases, you have recourse in the form of a variance. You are entitled to petition the local zoning board to grant you a variance, which is an official decision not to apply a particular provision of a zoning law to a single violation. These aren't always granted, but generally have to be granted if the violation doesn't interfere with anyone else's use of their property, and doesn't thwart the purposes of local zoning laws.
Furthermore, zoning ordinances cannot be applied against you retroactively. For example, suppose you built a 3-story house on your property, and your property was zoned to allow 3-story houses to be built at the time of construction. And then, years later, the area you live in is re-zoned, to only allow 2-story houses. Can the local government force you to remove a whole level of your house? Of course not. Applying a law retroactively is unconstitutional. On the other hand, any future changes you want to make to your property will have to comply with the applicable zoning ordinance as it is currently written.
Find a Lake Havasu City Lawyer that Specializes in Your Area of Need:
How Can a Lake Havasu City, Arizona Attorney Help?
If you want to make improvements to your property, apply for a variance, or contest a zoning regulation as being applied to you retroactively, you have a right to do so, including some constitutional protections. However, your chances of prevailing in a zoning dispute will be markedly improved if you hire an experienced Lake Havasu City, Arizona real estate attorney to help.
There are 43 Real Estate, Housing & Property Law cases posted in Lake Havasu City
Cases Posted to LegalMatch listed by ZIP Code:Zoning Planning & Land Use Attorneys in the Largest AZ Cities
Life in Lake Havasu City
Lake Havasu City is located in Mohave County, Arizona. It is more of an isolate area from the rest of Mohave County, and is home to about 52,527 people.What is there to do in this area? Popular attractions include Wheeler Park, London Bridge, The Nautical Beachfront Resort, Rotary Park, Turtle Beach Bar, and the Lake Havasu Art Collective.
Some famous people who have called Lake Havasu City home are Jim Health, Michael Biehn, Ryan Reynolds, Mike Corkins, and Bob Milacki.
Lake Havasu City is also home to many small law offices and law firms with competent attorneys devoted to providing personalized and excellent legal services.
All in all Lake Havasu City is a wonderful get-away for Arizona residents and anyone else!
